jadis

I'm way more the obsessive type than the addictive

But I would struggle to live a day without coffee and books. The gym is up there too. The one time I was desprived of it during covid I got so depressed I punched "music forum" into google to see if these things still exist... and here we are

Marie Monday

same for me if you'd swap coffee for tea and gym for just walking

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Buckeye Randy

Jadis and MM, what is the attraction of the gym? Is it a social thing or is it just impossible to exercise at home?

jadis

I love tea too, esp Earl Grey. Tried getting off coffee once or twice by having lots of tea instead but I always relapse to the stronger stuff. Now I'm on just one pot (a cup and a half) a day so it's kinda under control.

Marie Monday

??? I hate the gym mate

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jadis

You have to be very rich to match at home what even a mediocre gym offers in terms of weight lifting, or at least know a thing or two about the equipment, have a spare room etc etc. And since I'm not only one of the poors but also not a professional sportsman I need good instructors to not get injured. Even after years and years, I like having professionals to monitor my max sets, show me new exercises etc.

The social thing... It depends. Some days I enjoy it, others not so much. Sometimes you meet cool people, other days you feel you're surrounded by dullards. My current gym doesn't have music, which is amazing. I used to work out at some place that played the worst playlists of all time. There was one with trans remixes of postpunk classics (A Forest, This is Not a Love Song etc) which is what they would've played for me at Guantanamo.

Buckeye Randy

My mistake!

We have a gym at work that rarely gets used by the employees. The room has $30,000 (a number from 15 years ago) worth of equipment that is basically just collecting dust. I've thought about using it but when work is over I'm ready to go home.

The older I get, the less physically demanding my job has become! If there were any logic in this world I would be digging ditches right now.

Is laziness an addiction? Count me in.

jadis

Yeah doesn't sound like something that would work for you.

A good instructor is no less important than equipment. And motivation is also key. It seems to be hard enough for people to get into it with motivation...

I became addicted years ago at a young age because all I ever do is sit down and read and write all day, and I noticed that after workouts I have much more energy and my concentration is better. Now it's like brushing my teeth or something. I don't have to think about it or force myself to do it, it's just part of my day.

Buckeye Randy

I do understand to a degree. I used to start my day with five minutes of stretching and a couple minutes of sit-ups and push-ups. This was motivated by some semi-regular visits to a chiropractor but I did notice other benefits with the morning routine.

I got out of this routine of morning exercise probably because of laziness but I was doing almost nightly walks through parks with family and that kept the cardio going good along with everything else. My routine lately is not so good!

I have a friend that was forced to retire (disability) due to a bad back and cardio. He started doing regular workouts at the gym and walking, he has dropped over 50 pounds and is in better health now than 20 years ago.